1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Ethernet-MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) gateway apparatus and, more particularly, to an Ethernet-MOST gateway apparatus for exchanging data between a MOST network transferring multimedia data within a vehicle and a packet network for a computer and Internet communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) is a communications standard for data transmission between various vehicle-based multimedia devices (e.g., a vehicle audio visual (AV) system, a navigation system, a digital versatile disc (DVD) player, a changer, an amplifier, and the like). In general, it establishes a ring-type network so as to transmit large quantities of multimedia information such as voice, video, and the like, through optical fibers at a wide bandwidth according to a high speed transmission scheme.
Packet networks are commonly employed for a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide area network), and the like, owing to the development of high-tech equipment such as a hub, a switch, a router, and the like, as well as various types of multimedia services such as a digital broadcast, a video call, VoD (Video on Demand), IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), and the like, in concert with the explosive increase in Internet users and existing data services.
In the past, vehicles were merely transportation systems carrying human beings, things or objects from place to place; however, some contemporary vehicles are classified as infotainment (information+entertainment) systems, having information and entertainment functions in addition to their existing transportation functionality. Thus, a MOST network supporting a vehicle multimedia service must use packet network data providing general data services and novel multimedia services in order to support such Infotainment.
However, a MOST frame for transferring data in the MOST network and an Ethernet frame for transferring data in the packet network are of different frame types, so information cannot be transferred between these frames without being converted. Also, an improper use of MOST frame synchronization and asynchronization intervals makes it impossible to effectively transfer the multimedia services from the packet network thereto.
Therefore, a gateway connecting the MOST frame of the MOST network and the Ethernet frame of the packet network is required.